About the Coverwall

From John and Yoko to Miley Cyrus, Annie Leibovitz to David LaChapelle, the cover of Rolling Stone has always been an art form in its own right. Now you can explore all our covers, and read full articles from classic issues dating back to our 1967 launch in our brand-new Cover Wall.
Explore the Coverwall »

"Hungry Heart"

Springsteen's first top 10 hit was almost the one that got away: He initially planned to give the song to the Ramones (after seeing them at a club in Asbury Park), until Jon Landau successfully argued that he'd be crazy not to keep it for himself. Landau was right, of course. The lyrics, about a guy who walks out on his wife and kids, are actually pretty dark, but you'd never know it from the sunny Beach Boys melody and arrangement; co-producer Chuck Plotkin sped up the tape on the track so Springsteen's voice would sound higher. "It just had this groove," Van Zandt said. "So I said, 'Let's get some extra-high harmony on it.'"